The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible, which debuts later this year, features a top that lowers remotely using the car's key fob.

Written by

MARK PHELAN
USA Today / Gannett

OK, so drop-top sales have plummeted by half in the last decade with some in the autos universe all but signing the convertible's death warrant.

But it's clear to me that not only is open-air motoring alive and well, it's also poised for a healthy wind-in-your-hair rebound. IHS Automotive agrees, expecting sales to creep back up to 2% of total auto sales over the next few years from a paltry 1.2% this year.

The Great Recession hit convertibles even harder than the rest of the industry. Sales bottomed out at less than one-third of pre-crash levels in 2010, according to Wardsauto.com. ...